Red Sox Lose Marcelo Mayer: How Boston Can Fill the Infield Void Now

The hits keep coming for the Boston Red Sox and now they're going to be without the services of starting shortstop Marcelo Mayer for a time.

Mayer has had an up-and-down season so far, to say the least, and it took a turn for the worse on Friday. The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey reported that Mayer is heading to the Injured List with a "bone stress reaction," similar to Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

"Marcelo Mayer is headed to the IL with a bone stress reaction in his forearm similar to Kiner Falefa," McCaffrey wrote. "Tracy said he’s been dealing with it on and off for 'a while.' [Tsung-Che Cheng] will be activated from Worcester and play a lot of short. Romy González is in Worcester at least one more day."

Red Sox Next Steps With Marcelo Mayer Out

Jun 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Boston Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer (11) celebrates after a double to center field in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Promoting Che Cheng is intriguing. He has done well down in Triple-A so far this season. He's slashing .254/.351/.424 with a .776 OPS, seven homers, 18 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. He played in three games in the majors last season as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but hasn't collected his first base hit yet. He went 0-for-7.

Romy González can play all over the diamond and is going to be heavily relied on the second he makes his season debut, which is expected to be over the weekend. First base and third base are set with Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin. Second base and shortstop are completely up in the air now.

Boston has a lot of guys who can do a bit of everything, so it will be about determining who fits best where. Again, there are a lot of guys who do similar things. González, Cheng, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler, and Nate Eaton are utility guys for Boston about to be on the big league roster. There will surely be a lot of mixing and matching. Seigler has been good since getting promoted and should get a lot of opportunities, likely at second base. Monasterio is comfortable at shortstop. González could easily play shortstop. Cheng plays both middle infield spots. Eaton hasn't played any infield for Boston yet this season, but has played some third base throughout his career.

With what the Red Sox have right now, the best option would be Monasterio at shortstop and Seigler at second base. When González is activated, the best option would be to plop him at shortstop. Or, more Seigler to shortstop and play González at second base.

Mayer is now on the shelf and we have to wait to see how long it will be. Trevor Story also isn't going to save the infield yet. He's still at least a few weeks away from being in consideration after undergoing sports hernia surgery.

A tough season gets harder for Boston.

Add us as a preferred source on Google